Ear piercing

Starlite14 · January 2016

I guess this is for my moms with little girls!! Are you guys plan on getting your LO ear pierce ? If so any recommendation of places? I do believe we have time lol I think its 3mths old and we can get it done.

maiatene · January 2016

I suggest going to a doctor to have the procedure done. My sister took my nieces to the pediatrician to get theirs and they had no issues. Tattoo parlors aren't always the cleanest and I wouldn't go to a mall shop as an adult so taking my sweet girl is a no-no lol

As for me, I'm not going to get my girls ears pierced yet. Before I had my girl I was all for getting that done early but after discussing it with her father I'm going to wait until she is old enough to make that decision on her own. I didn't consider that she may not want them pierced for whatever reason until he brought it up... plus I think it's kinda sweet to wait and make it a milestone event we can experience together.

Ceridwen77 · January 2016

Yea I'm definitely waiting until she's older and wants to get them pierced. At least then she'll understand the pain vs. now she'll have no idea why it hurts. I also don't want to risk infection at such a young age.

gipfish · January 2016

I wish my mom had waited until I was older to get my ears pierced. My earring got caught on my brother's sleeve while we were roughhousing when I was five, and now my earlobe is messed up so that I can't wear earrings. Which is sad because there are so many cute earrings in the world! My sister got hers done at age 8, and that seemed to be a nice mature age for it. She was able to take care of her own ears right away, and she loves the memory of her experience getting it done and picking out her first studs.

Just wanted to share in case there are any undecided moms reading this thread.

Lolo427 · January 2016

Huh, hearing your experience @gipfish has put me back on the fence. I was 6 when I first got them pierced and I did NOT do that great of a job keeping them clean despite trying- though it was an exciting experience itself. My thought process was getting it done now would mean I take care of them and they're well established and healed by the time she becomes aware of them. Likewise (and this is completely just me) getting ears pierced doesn't feel like an invasive decision stealing thing. I can see why others would see that but to me it's such small potatoes. Oohhhh I don't know. I will say though that should we go this route it will absolutely be through the pedis office.

angelinthepit23 · January 2016

I don't have a girl but if I ever do the decision will be hers. My earring got ripped out when I was 6 and now my earlobe is all wonky looking.

NovemberSno · January 2016

I think waiting until she decides she wants them is best. Everybody wants to put holes in thier ears. I mean yes, it's adorable, but they are permanent! They never go away when you have them pierced this young and that should be something she decides to want or not. Even if she decides at a very young age it should be her choice. I have 3 girls and only my oldest has hers and she waited 2 years after she started wanting them (she was almost 8 when she got them) until I felt she was mature enough to know what she was asking for, now my younger one doesn't want them at all. She says she really just doesn't need them (weird because she's such a girly girl) so I'm glad I didn't peirce them. And I feel like there is such a pressure to get them done, I've actual had a kind of argument with a lady about it. She kept on asking me and was like if you want to make them more beautiful why wouldn't you do it? Wth...they don't need jewelry to make them beautiful lady. Anyways, ultimately it's your LO and you know them best and it's your decision just thought I'd share my point of view. Good luck!

gipfish · January 2016

@Lolo427 I get your reasoning, especially if your little girl turns out squeamish, you won't have to deal with her freaking out during the healing process. I just always wonder: if I had been a few years older when that incident happened, I probably would have said, "Wait, wait. My earring is caught." Instead, I squealed and pulled away. That's what probably caused most of the damage. I tried to re-pierce a few years later, but the skin on my ear grew over the back of the earring, and the doctor had to rip it out. It still hurts to remember that. Ouch! And I still have a great big knot in my earlobe.

itstheblackwidowbaby · January 2016

No matter what you decide, please don't go any place that uses a piercing gun.

https://www.safepiercing.org/learn/piercing/faq/#guns

That site has a little blurb as to why.

sadyy131 · January 2016

I'm getting a lot of pressure from my in laws to get it done early. But my SO and I want to wait. I was always mad my parents made me wait for them because I hated needles so although I wanted them, I hated the fact that I was aware enough to know the process. I was about 9 I believe. But now having a girl of my own, I want to wait. I was a huge tomboy growing up, and like PP said I probably would've gotten them pulled out somehow. Plus I feel like I would accidentally yank on it changing her clothes or something. And who knows, maybe she won't even care for them when she's older anyways.

urby87 · January 2016

Another thing to consider is that a baby's ears will grow quite a bit before adulthood, and the growth may not be exactly the same on both sides. So even if everything goes perfectly and you avoid any kind of trauma or infection, she may have lopsided holes when she grows up if you get them done very early. I understand this is a cosmetic thing and not ultimately important, but it may exacerbate normal self esteem issues as she goes through transitional phases.

dramaphile · January 2016

We had a little toddler at my daycare who had earrings. One went missing and it ended up she had swallowed it! Funny x-Ray to have when she's older, but probably not very safe...

I got my ears pierced when I was 5, I asked my grandma to take me for my birthday and my mom was horrified when I came home with earrings (my mom and sister don't have pierced ears). I had one earring fall out after they were supposed to be healed and it closed and I had it re-pierced three times after it kept having issues. I think that was more my ear's issue, not the age I got pierced (I still can't keep earrings in that side for more than a day) but I probably could have taken better care if I'd done it later. I plan on getting Cecily's ears pierced if she asks when she's old enough to be able to care for them herself, maybe age 7 or 8.

sacrazy · January 2016

My mom pierced my ears when I was a baby and then I got them pierced a second time when I was older (maybe middle school?). I had no issues with those piercings. However, my husband and I both feel like our daughter should make the decision for herself.

Pontot31 · January 2016

My daughter is 4. She won't get hers done until she can take care of them herself. Also she has to ask for them to be done. Right now she has no interest.
I wouldn't want to be taking care of a baby's ears and worrying about them.
To me, it needs to be her decision. What if they don't want them done? Why waste your time and energy when they are babies?

I developed an allergy to everything other than solid gold when I was pregnant with her and haven't been able to wear any of my earrings since then. They've closed up.

helsbels222 · January 2016

I was 6 months when my parents had mine pierced. I remember them always getting infected when I was a kid because I kept getting allergic reactions to most earrings. When I got older I realized that I had to wear real gold, even now sterling silver bothers my lobes if I wear them for too long. Earrings on babies look adorable and all but I would be too afraid they might get snagged and ripped out. We will be waiting as well.

RaisingJulian · January 2016

I have 2 boys but my mom had my ears peirced when I was 3 months & at a tattoo parlor (which I admit is kinda gross) personally I would do it when they're young just because you can keep track of the cleaning & they won't remember the pain. I have two peircings in my lobes and one on my cartilage & when I got the two peircings when I was older I didn't keep up with the cleaning because I never really thought about it.

grapesoda1111 · January 2016

LO can get her ears pierced when she can take care of them herself. Simple as that.
May be a UO, but, I think ear piercing on babies makes them look less cute.

queenwog · January 2016

grapesoda1111 said:
LO can get her ears pierced when she can take care of them herself. Simple as that.
May be a UO, but, I think ear piercing on babies makes them look less cute.

Totally agree.

My parents had a rule that we could choose to get them pierced when we turned sixteen. My sister got hers done but I never wanted to; I'm almost 27 and still have no piercings. I'm glad my parents didn't force that on me.

My step daughter's biomom took her to get her ears pierced at 6 despite our objection. She wasn't old enough to care for them and the kid lived with us half the time, so it should have been a joint commitment. Ultimately the care fell on me because SD was too young and her mom stopped bothering. I wholeheartedly feel kids shouldn't get piercings until they can care for it themselves.

My LO is a boy, but if I had a girl I wouldn't be getting that done.

mamavbs · January 2016

I had mine done at 6 months. I'm in no way angry about it, I then went on to get 2nd and 3rd holes done as a teenager. I wear seriously tiny plain studs in them now and 99% of the time forget I have them. I always thought I'd follow tradition and get my daughters pierced when she was tiny but when she came along I just couldn't do it. She's very petite and her ears seem too small for earrings, plus her immunisations made me cry so unnecessary pain like that, which was avoidable, seemed silly to me.

I know she will probably ask me for her ears pierced at some point. She loves my earrings and copying me so I guess she will want them too. When she asks, il explain it all and take her. I'd probably make a thing of it, so like a birthday present. Until then, she has some clip on ones in a princess dress up set that she has!

ShianeNicole · January 2016

I think I will get my daughter's done. Not sure when or how old she will be but I am leaning more towards having them done than not. I had mine done and never hated my mom or had resentment towards her. I don't even wear anything in them now, haven't since high school and I'm still ok with having holes. Guess it's just a personal decision. Do whatever you feel like you want for your LO.

skabanak · January 2016

We waited with my oldest daughter and got them done for her 5th birthday (she asked for them for awhile before that) and it was a fun special gift for her and she was sooo proud!!! My second daughter started asking at 2.5 to get hers done since she always saw her sister having new earrings. Her dad took her to get them done and she loves them. It's a personal choice for the parents and we made the choice to wait until our daughters asked to get them done. I didn't mind helping to clean them.

maiatene · January 2016

@Starlite14 if you're on the fence about it don't do it... there's no prize if you do it at 3 months and you should be 100% sure of your decision either way...

chelseaepley · January 2016

I got my daughters done as soon as she was able. Her pedi did it. Then when she was about 9 mo old she started pulling on them and playing with them to fall asleep and now we had o to take them out because she was about to pull one all the way down.

mollypuss1 · January 2016

I can't wear earrings as I am allergic to the nickel in them. My ears go red and hot and itchy and then start to hurt. I won't get my daughter's pierced until she is old enough to tell me if they hurt in case she is allergic also and even then only if she specifically asks to have them done.

Nickel allergy is one of the most common causes of allergic contact dermatitis and is most commonly associated with earrings and other jewelry, particularly jewelry associated with body piercings. It's just something to bare in mind if you do chose to piece your child's ears before they are able to tell you if it hurts.

VexedMommy · January 2016

I got my ears pierced the first time for my 10th birthday. I allowed my daughter to get hers pierced for her 7th. She asked/begged for it for a very long time. She was able to keep her ears clean herself (for the most part) and I inspected about once a week for the first few months. I've considered piercing Bridget's ears while she's still a baby, but my (now) 9yr old loses earrings frequently so I'd hate to imagine how often I'd have to replace a toddler's earrings. I'd also worry that they would fall out and she would decide to swallow them.

Squirtgun · January 2016

FYI: those of you with metal allergies, try coating the part of the earring that touches your ear with clear fingernail polish. It may not work for everyone, but it works for me!

(To the actual question at hand, I'm on the side of waiting until they are responsible enough to take care of them on their own.)

VexedMommy · January 2016

Squirtgun said:

FYI: those of you with metal allergies, try coating the part of the earring that touches your ear with clear fingernail polish. It may not work for everyone, but it works for me! (To the actual question at hand, I'm on the side of waiting until they are responsible enough to take care of them on their own.)

That's what I do with all of my jewelry. It may need more than one coat and may need to be touched up occasionally.

dramaphile · January 2016

RaisingJulian said:
I have 2 boys but my mom had my ears peirced when I was 3 months & at a tattoo parlor (which I admit is kinda gross) personally I would do it when they're young just because you can keep track of the cleaning & they won't remember the pain. I have two peircings in my lobes and one on my cartilage & when I got the two peircings when I was older I didn't keep up with the cleaning because I never really thought about it.

A tattoo/piercing shop is actually one of the safest places to get your ears pierced. They use needles instead of a piercing gun, which is less likely to cause infection, and are required by law to follow strict sanitation procedures for piercing. They will also give you better instructions for cleaning and caring for a piercing (for example, peroxide is bad for piercings!). When my daughter decides she wants pierced ears and is old enough, I'll take her to a good piercing shop and get them done there.

mollypuss1 · January 2016

Squirtgun said:
FYI: those of you with metal allergies, try coating the part of the earring that touches your ear with clear fingernail polish. It may not work for everyone, but it works for me!

(To the actual question at hand, I'm on the side of waiting until they are responsible enough to take care of them on their own.)

I tried this years ago but it didn't help me, I guess I'm just extra sensitive.

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